Range Finders?

[BZR]

I have a chance to get a good deal,$100 off) a Leupold RX-IV range finder.

Is this deal worth taking? or would I be better off waiting and saving for something else?

What are your opinions for range finders that work well out to 1000 yards?

Lieca? Swarovski? etc

 

[6BR]

Save your money at get the Swarovski 8x30 Laser Guided Range Finder. It's the best range finder out there. It will range out to 1600 yards and the clearity of the glass is spectacular. They run between $950 to $1000 but they are worth every penny.

 

[BZR]

Sportsman's Warehouse is going out of sale here in SA and they have range finders for 20% off.

I think the Swarovski is $799 right now..

 

[6BR]

Are you kidding me! I would be buying one ASAP! I paid, with shipping, $1015.00 for mine. WOW, I would be jumping all over this if it's true.

 

[Ackman]

If you want to range houses or boulders or automobiles that's one thing. But on small targets you want the least beam divergence possible. Some rangefinders have so much as to be useless way out there for small targets sitting on the ground. Call around to different tech departments and find out the beam divergence of their product. Last time I checked Leica had by far the smallest beam.

 

[Forum Boss]

Swaro topped our comparison test: http://www.6mmbr.com/rangefinders.html

Leica was second, and yes it has minimal beam divergence,which gives you longer ranging with fewer false returns.)

If you can play at that price range, I would also look at the new Zeiss. We're still waiting to give it a full test, but it looks competitive with the Swaro. I'd never bet against Zeiss when it comes to glass...

The Zeiss also has a ballistic hold-over feature. It's not perfect, but would be useful for a hunter if his load matches one of the available trajectory profiles from which you can select.

 

[colliers_customs]

I have a Nikon Monarch Gold Laser 1200 and it will go a little past 1200 and i couldnt ask for more with it only costing $365.

Jake

 

[dennisinaz]

My experience with the Leupold range finders has been pretty disappointing. They need a very reflective target to give ranges and any kind of distance it seems and too 'gadgetty' for my liking. I have a Leica and a Nikon. Both are 800 yd models and will range into the 900+ range.

The Leica is nice with the LED as it will work at night. The Nikon is better for one-hand use.

My next one will be a Swarovski since I can't find a reasonably priced Vector.

 

[Forum Boss]

If you're looking for a Leupold laser rangefinder, be aware that Leupold has just introduced a new, super-compact model, the RX-1000. Range is claimed to be 1000 yards, but I'm skeptical.

http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/leupold-introduces-new-compact-rx-1000-rangefinder/

Gunblast photo,shows actual size): http://www.gunblast.com/images/Leupold-RX1000/DSC06976.JPG

If you have the bucks, I'd stick with a Leica, Swarovski, or the new Zeiss. Canada's Newcon Optic also makes a good rangefinder but we haven't tested one yet.

 

[Spanners]

Friend had a RXIV.. until he looked through my Leica CRF - traded it next day on a Leica.

The Loopie glass is junk, and all the gadgets are pretty pointless.
The Loopie range was no where near advertised either.

 

[flatlander]

I bought a Swarovski LG off SWFA's sample list 2-3 years ago for $750. Had to replace the battery almost immediately with a fresh one, but then it performed up to my expectations,which were pretty high). The glass is as good as that of my Swaro 8x30 SLCs,which was no surprise, as the LG is basically half a 8x30 SLC). I feel the only shortcoming is the circular reticle, which is pretty imprecise for ranging smaller objects at 600+yds. A crosshair reticle would be helpful, but it's probably a moot point, as I doubt it will range an object too small to accurately center in the ring at that distance.

The only problem I've had with this particular LG is that it used to eat batteries. A fresh one would often last only a few weeks, whether I used it or not.

I'd been told that the optics carried the same lifetime warranty as other Swaro products, but that the laser unit itself had a limited warranty. Not knowing what to expect in the way of cost, I returned the LG to Swaro's repair center along with a description of the battery problem. A couple of weeks later, I received a postcard notification that the unit had been shipped back to the factory in Austria, and that I could expect to wait a month or more to get it back. However, the wait was worth it - it was in like new condition when I opened the package,yes, I checked - it had the same serial#). The techs at Swaro had cleaned the optics and performed whatever other magic it needed - it's been running on the same battery for nearly a year now.